Russian Propaganda Reached 126 Million Facebook Users, Far More Than First Discl…

MENLO PARK (CBS SF) – The attain of Russian content material on Fb to affect American voters was extra ten occasions larger than initially admitted, in line with a number of revealed studies.

In response to disclosures in draft testimonies slated on Capitol Hill this week, 126 million Fb customers have been uncovered to content material “produced and circulated by Russian operatives.” The posts have been a part of a disinformation marketing campaign meant to sway the 2016 presidential election in favor of then-candidate Donald Trump.

Final September, the social media megagiant admitted a Russian troll farm, the Web Analysis Company, bought about three,000 advertisements, however estimated solely 10 million customers have been uncovered to the content material. The troll farm additionally revealed free content material.

Fb’s Basic Counsel Colin Stretch is predicted to testify Tuesday at one in every of three scheduled hearings on Capitol Hill. In accordance with the Washington Submit, he’ll disclose that over a two-yr interval main as much as the 2016 U.S. elections, Russians revealed eighty,000 pretend tales that have been appreciated, shared and commented on by about 126 million Fb customers.

The disclosure comes as tech corporations come beneath growing strain after investigators discovered Russia meddled within the 2016 electoins and used social media to propagate false information and affect American voters.

On Monday, Google admitted it was compromised, saying that Russian trolls uploaded greater than a thousand movies to YouTube. Pretend Russian accounts have been on Twitter, as properly.